As reportscontinue to make clear that Republicans in Jefferson City still have no plan to fix healthcare cuts hurting thousands of seniors and people with disabilities, the Missouri Democratic Party is highlighting where Eric Greitens has been traveling outside of Missouri instead of working with his fellow Republican politicians to restore the healthcare cuts he caused — even though Republicans promised in September they would have a solution in three weeks.

Here’s where Eric Greitens has been since September, instead of focusing on healthcare for Missourians:

Michigan for a fancy dinner with Betsy DeVos and other wealthy political donors

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens signed right-to-work legislation in February. It is scheduled to go into effect later this month. File photo by Tim Bommel Missouri House Communications

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Kansas City Star is reporting today that dark money is “pouring” into a campaign to stop the grassroots movement from Missouri’s workers to repeal so-called right to work legislation.

The report specifically mentions that the dark money group “American Democracy Alliance” and the Governor’s dark money group called “A New Missouri, Inc.” are both funneling money into other organizations aimed at stopping the petition to repeal right to work.

Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber added, “So-called right to work legislation puts a thumb on the scale in favor of billionaires and big corporations, so it’s unfortunately no surprise that Eric Greitens and his shady dark money backers are trying to undermine the grassroots movement to repeal it.”

Earlier this summer, Governor Eric Greitens bragged about his anti-worker agenda at a private retreat of millionaire and billionaire political donors in Colorado associated with the Koch Brothers.

In case you missed it, KBIA is reporting that pharmacists and doctors fighting the opioid epidemic on the front lines agree that the executive order Governor Eric Greitens signed is ineffective because it does not allow prescribers to access the new database.

Former President of the Missouri Pharmacy Association and pharmacist Erica Hopkins says the plan from the Governor, “feels like putting a Band-Aid on a huge wound.”

The reporting from KBIA added that Dr. Lucas Buffaloe, a family physician in Columbia, believes “the new state program won’t help them keep their patients safe.”

Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber stated, “Despite the theatrics from Eric Greitens, a look behind the curtain shows that Missouri still isn’t giving pharmacists and doctors the tools they need to fight the opioid epidemic. We need actual solutions not political stunts.”

In addition to being ineffective, the executive order on opioids has also recently raised ethical questions because it involved Eric Greitens awarding a no-bid government contract to a private company that donated to his campaign.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The following is a statement from Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber on the ads that A New Missouri, Inc. will be running throughout Missouri to provide cover for Eric Greitens after he made huge slashes to the State’s budget:

“No matter how many dark money ads Eric Greitens tries to hide behind, Missourians are going to notice when they’re bearing the brunt of his deep slashes to healthcare, public education, and wages – especially as the billionaires and big corporations who donate to Republicans continue to benefit.”

Background:

In an attempt to burymore than $250 million in expenditure restrictions and other harmful cuts, Eric Greitens announced at the last-minute before a Holiday weekend a series of legislative actions that would gut resources for healthcare and public education, among other deep slashes to Missouri’s budget.

More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers and candidates in Missouri flooded social media with videos last week to call out Republicans in Jefferson City for cutting the MOrx program, which forces over 63,000 older Missourians to pay higher prescription drug costs.

KSHB is reporting that “Budget cuts could force disabled Missourians from homes.”

Missouri’s Top Statewide Leaders Still Won’t Reveal If They’ll Use New Authority from GOP’s Senate Healthcare Overhaul to Gut Key Healthcare Protections or Not

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On the heels of an independent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office that’s showing how the GOP’s U.S. Senate healthcare overhaul would spike costs and gut healthcare for working Missourians, Governor Eric Greitens is finally breaking his silence, telling the Springfield News-Leader, through a spokesperson, that he’s “committed” to repealing current healthcare law.

Missouri’s Governor also clarified that he thinks the “right path forward is giving states” more authority. That’s exactly what the Congressional Budget Office says the GOP’s Senate Healthcare overhaul will do – leading to dramatic slashes in crucial treatments and making protections for pre-existing conditions essentially “meaningless,” according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report.

In contrast to Eric Greitens, Missouri’s other top statewide officeholders – Lt. Governor Mike Parson and Attorney General Josh Hawley – have remained completely silent.

Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber added, “With Governor Greitens saying he wants Republican officeholders in Jefferson City to have more authority over healthcare, it’s more crucial than ever before for Missourians to know if their top statewide officials – Eric Greitens, Mike Parson, and Josh Hawley – are planning to use the GOP’s disastrous healthcare overhaul to gut key protections or not.”

Missouri’s Governor Sells Billionaires on Why They Should Donate to Him, as He’s Still Silent on Healthcare and Currently Holding an Unnecessary and Expensive Special Session

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As Missouri’s Governor refuses to speak out against the GOP’s unpopular healthcare overhaul in DC and continues to hold an unnecessary and expensive special legislative session, Eric Greitens met with the billionaire Koch Brothers’ network of 400 big money donors at a luxury resort over the weekend.

Greitens told the private retreat of billionaires and millionaires how important it is for them to spend even more of their money to influence policy that hurts working Missourians, stating: “You have to invest in governors because we are getting things done in states.”

Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber stated, “Working families and older Missourians are still waiting to find out if Eric Greitens is planning to gut their healthcare or not – and he’s just off at a luxury resort telling billionaires to give him more money. He’s not even trying to hide anymore that he cares more about billionaires and millionaires that can give to his secret dark money group than working Missourians.”

Background:

USA TODAY reports that Eric Greitens “told the 400 conservative contributors who assembled at a luxury resort here for a three-day private retreat” that “You have to invest in governors because we are getting things done in states.” The group of political donors is aligned with the Koch brothers political network.

Eric Greitens has been silent on the healthcare overhaul from Republicans in the U.S. Senate, which the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported “would weaken certain consumer protections and give states, particularly governors, more power in deciding what is required to be included in health insurance coverage.”

Eric Greitens is currently holding a special legislative session, which the Kansas City Star Editorial Board said “wastes time and money.”

As Missouri’s top statewide Republican officeholders – Governor Eric Greitens, Lt. Governor Mike Parson, and Attorney General Josh Hawley – remain silent on the GOP’s healthcare overhaul, national reports are highlighting how the legislation would force statewide officials to make critical decisions about the future of healthcare for their residents.

Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber added, “Working Missourians are worried about their wallets and supporting their families – the least they deserve is to know whether or not their top statewide officeholders in Jefferson City are planning to use this new authority to gut their healthcare or not.”

Here’s what national reports are saying about how the Senate healthcare bill puts pressure on statewide officeholders:

NBC News: “It would also cap the amount of funding states can get on a per-recipient basis rather than continue the current system…To make up the difference, states would either have to raise taxes, cut programs elsewhere or reduce benefits and coverage for recipients.”

CBS News: “States will be allowed to set their own standards for what insurers must offer on various policies.”

New York Times:Thebill offers “states the ability to drop many of the benefits required by the Affordable Care Act, like maternity care, emergency services and mental health treatment.”

Both Greitens and Hawley are Running Hand-in-Hand Away from Their Promises to Clean Up Jefferson City

MIssouri Attorney General Josh Hawley

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As Governor Eric Greitens continues to face criticism for the non-stop ethical questions swirling over the Governor’s mansion, Attorney General Josh Hawley is rebuffing bipartisan criticism —and is instead rushing to defend Eric Greitens, telling the Kansas City Star that Missouri’s Governor is “leading by example” on ethics.

Hawley’s glowing remarks of how Greitens has handled ethics come as the Governor, who ran on cleaning up Jefferson City, is facing a bipartisan group of lawmakers who are calling for an investigation into how his campaign obtained a donor list that’s already been the subject of an ethics violation from the Missouri Ethics Commission. Greitens has also been criticized for failing on his promise to deliver ethics reform, opening up a dark money group that’s been the focus of seemingly endless controversy, and refusing to disclose details of donations for his inauguration, among other unethical behavior.

Gov. Eric Greitens

This shouldn’t come as a surprise since Josh Hawley has been ignoring allegations of pay-to-play and corruption in Jefferson City – despite his campaign promises to open up a “Public Corruption Unit” that would end corruption. Like other members of the Republican establishment in Jefferson City, Josh Hawley has also received millions of dollars in campaign donations from GOP megadonor David Humphreys.

“Eric Greitens and Josh Hawley are proving that they’re just run-of-the-mill politicians only looking out for themselves as they continue running hand-in-hand away from their campaign promises to clean up Jefferson City,” stated Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber. “Greitenshas been a complete and total let down for Missourians with his non-stop unethical behavior and growing allegations of corruption – and it should worry all of us that Josh Hawley thinks that’s more deserving of praise than of investigation.”

ACTION ALERT

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Stand for Civil Rights by Calling Governor Eric Greitens and Telling Him to Veto SB43

As Democrats, we all know that civil rights should only move in one direction – and that’s forward. Unfortunately, from a recent Attorney General report that shows black drivers are 75% more likely to be pulled over while driving in Missouri to the gender pay gap, we’re reminded that there is much more work to do.

This is especially timely as thousands of Americans are rallying because they know Philando Castile deserves justice following his tragic and unjust death.

Here in Missouri, we’re asking you to fight for civil rights today by calling Eric Greitens to veto SB43, a discriminatory piece of legislation from Republicans in Jefferson City that makes it harder to crack down on workplace discrimination by undercutting Missouri Human Rights Act.

“We need to do everything we can to fight for civil rights in Missouri. SB43 takes us backwards by gutting workplace protections against discrimination. Governor Eric Greitens should veto SB43 now and send the strong message that Missouri does not stand for discrimination.”

In case you missed it, Attorney General Josh Hawley is once again breaking from his campaign promises to clean up corruption in Jefferson City – as a bipartisan group of senators, including four Republicans and two Democrats, have called for a special investigatory committee into Governor Eric Greitens and allegations of violating campaign ethics laws.

The Kansas City Star reported that “experts in laws governing tax-exempt organizations” made clear that serious questions remain about how Eric Greitens received a donor list – which was already the subject of an ethics violation – from the non-profit charity he used to run. However, the Kansas City Star continues to add that Hawley ducked from the issue and declined to comment, despite his campaign promise to end corruption and the fact that the “state attorney general’s office enforces Missouri laws regarding charities.”

“For all his secrecy, if there’s one thing Governor Eric Greitens has actually opened up, it’s opportunities for Josh Hawley to follow through on his campaign promises to clean up corruption,” stated Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber. “But instead of living up to what he told Missourians he’d do – Josh Hawley is proving that he’s just another typical, self-serving politician.”